Position Duration: Late April to Mid October 2026

Status: Temporary/Seasonal

Compensation: $20.00/hr paid every two weeks; time-in-grade increases may be possible for returning crew leaders

Training Schedule: Training schedule is variable but anticipated to cover three weeks from late April to mid May. Likely 4 day work weeks with time off falling on weekends.

Hitch Schedule: The hitch schedule will typically follow an 8 day on - 6 day off rotation, with hitches typically running from Wednesday to the next Wednesday. 2026 will have some exceptions to allow for trainings and other staff events, but will generally follow the 8 day hitch schedule.

Location: Crews are based out of Asheville, North Carolina and will work primarily in Western North Carolina.

Supervisor: Field Crew Program Manager

Crew Structure: One Crew Leader, one Assistant Crew Leader, four Crew Members

Hiring Timeline:

• Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis, position will be filled as soon as possible

The Crew Leader, with help from the Assistant Crew Leader, will lead four Crew Members while camping and working on remote projects with limited to no cell service. Crews are expected to backpack and live in physically demanding, remote environments for at least 8 (and sometimes 10) days at a time. Conditions of this environment may vary significantly including freezing temperatures, high humidity, persistent rain, and high elevation. The remote nature of our work may mean delayed access to medical care. Leadership of the crew will require excellent communication skills and judgment, maturity, ability to train in the field, professionalism, initiative, emotional maturity and resilience, resourcefulness, patience, ability to delegate tasks, technical trailwork skills, and comfort in the outdoors with minimal contact with others while on hitch. Crew leaders are expected to make decisions in the field to keep their crew safe and provide a high quantity and quality of work for our partners. Crew Leaders are ultimately responsible for successes and shortcomings of the crew.

A typical work hitch includes meeting at the SAWS office, driving a SAWS vehicle to a trailhead (sometimes several hours), backpacking into the project site, staying in the field for up to ten days at a time, hiking out, traveling back to the office, cleaning gear, tools, vehicles, completing reporting requirements, and preparing your crew for the next work hitch.